Jasprit Bumrah Reveals Why He Didn’t Celebrate Iconic 5-Wicket Haul at Lord’s Test – ‘I’m Not 21 Anymore
Jasprit Bumrah lifted the lid on his subdued celebration after a five-wicket haul at Lord’s during Day 2
Jasprit Bumrah produced another spell of high-class fast bowling to etch his name on the iconic Lord’s honours board on Day 2 of the third Test, but his muted reaction after claiming his fifth wicket sparked as much intrigue as his performance commanded admiration.
Bumrah’s five-for (5/74) helped India bowl out England for 387 in the second session, shortly after the lunch break. He dismissed Ben Stokes, Joe Root, and Chris Woakes in a fierce morning burst that reduced England from 251/4 to 271/7 and put India in firm control. It marked Bumrah’s 15th five-wicket haul in Tests, surpassing Kapil Dev’s record of most overseas five-fors by an Indian bowler. It also marked his name’s inclusion on the famed honours board at Lord’s for the first time in his career.
However, when Bumrah got his fifth, the wicket of Jofra Archer, there was no trademark fist pump, no broad smile, no hint of emotion. It was a notably subdued response, leading many to wonder whether he was unhappy with how England’s lower order had pushed the score close to 400, thanks to an 84-run stand between Jamie Smith and Brydon Carse.
Clearing the air in the post-day press conference, Bumrah explained the reason behind his restraint: fatigue.
“The reality is that I was tired. There was no happiness factor. I bowled for a long time on the field, and sometimes I get tired,” Bumrah said.
“I’m not 21-22 anymore that I’ll jump around. I’m usually not like that. I was happy that I contributed. Other than that, I just wanted to go back to my mark and bowl the next ball.”
Bumrah had been rested for the previous Test in Edgbaston under workload management, but his return here showed why he remains India’s premier strike bowler: pace, seam movement, and the ability to dismantle any lineup across conditions.
Earlier in the day, he dismissed Root with a peach that nipped in and uprooted the middle stump, the 11th time he has dismissed the England great in Tests. The five-for was Bumrah’s second in as many Tests this series, having taken one in Leeds as well.
KL Rahul played a classy knock as he remained unbeaten on 53, with Rishabh Pant (19*) braving a finger injury to bat at No. 5 as India fought back after the early dismissal of Yashasvi Jaiswal (13). Jofra Archer, returning to Test cricket after over four years, dismissed Jaiswal in just his third delivery of the first over.
Karun Nair (40) showed great composure before his innings was cut short thanks to an excellent one-handed catch by Joe Root at slips. Shubman Gill, fresh off a twin-century Test at Edgbaston, couldn’t make a mark in the first innings at Lord’s, scoring 16.
It’s tough to get the better of Jasprit Bumrah both on and off the field, as India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja found on Day 2 of the third Test against England at Lord’s. They were not technically off the field but they were definitely not engaged in a battle of bat and ball when Bumrah gave a fitting reply to Jadeja, neutralising his attempt to tease him. Bumrah, who was reluctant to celebrate his five-wicket haul, was given the honour of leading the Indian team off the field after they bowled England out for 387 on Friday.
Bumrah didn’t seem too keen to even do that but was pushed by his teammates. Jadeja was one of them. The India all-rounder decided to test Bumrah before allowing him to lead to the dressing room. “Hamein toh bol ki well bowled (Appreciate us too by saying ‘well bowled’),” said Jadeja as Bumrah was heading off.
Hearing this, Bumrah turned back to hug Jadeja and said: “Main toh aapke liye hi bol raha that (I was saying it for you only).”
Jasprit Bumrah once again underlined his status as India’s premier fast bowler with a fiery five-wicket haul that tore through England’s middle and lower order at Lord’s. His 5 for 74 not only helped India bowl out England for 387 in the second session but also earned him a coveted spot on the Lord’s Honours Board.
It was Bumrah’s 15th five-wicket haul in Test cricket — surpassing Kapil Dev’s record of 12 five-fors outside India — and his second in as many matches, having delivered a similar spell at Leeds. This performance, carved out with hostility and precision, arrived just a week after Bumrah was rested at Edgbaston as part of India’s workload management strategy.
While England began the morning session at 251 for 4, Bumrah wasted no time dismantling the hosts’ hopes of a massive first-innings total. He removed Ben Stokes, Joe Root, and Chris Woakes in a stunning spell that saw three wickets fall for just 20 runs.
Stokes was the first to go, bowled by a searing delivery that jagged back from around the wicket and clattered into the top of off-stump, moments after stroking a boundary through point. Root, who had completed his 37th Test hundred — and record eighth at Lord’s — with a boundary off the very first ball of the day, fell to another Bumrah special that nipped back sharply, sneaking through his defense and uprooting the middle stump. It was the 11th time Bumrah had dismissed Root in Tests.
Woakes lasted just one delivery, edging to stand-in wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel to give Bumrah his third in quick succession. Though Brydon Carse (56*) and Jamie Smith (51*) staged a late recovery with an 84-run eighth-wicket partnership, it was Bumrah who had already left a lasting mark on the innings.
Adding to the drama was a controversial ball change midway through the morning session. Despite the second new ball being just over 10 overs old and producing significant movement, India skipper Shubman Gill requested a replacement after it failed a gauge test. However, the replacement ball offered noticeably less swing — 2.6 times less on average, according to Cricbuzz — leading to visible frustration from Gill and Siraj, and an animated exchange with the umpires. A second change was made shortly after, but India’s bowlers couldn’t extract the same assistance as earlier.
England, once struggling at 271 for 7, rallied to post 387, thanks largely to Carse and Smith. Smith was dropped on five by KL Rahul at slip — a rare lapse — and made India pay, stroking his way to a brisk half-century.
In reply, India ended the day at 145 for 3, trailing by 242 runs. They lost both openers early — Yashasvi Jaiswal fell for 13 to a seaming beauty from Jofra Archer, who was playing his first Test since February 2021, while Gill (16) was undone by a clever plan from Chris Woakes. Having noticed Gill’s tendency to step out of his crease, England set the wicketkeeper deeper, and it paid off when Gill edged behind after being pushed back into his crease.
Karun Nair (40) looked solid and seemed destined for a half-century before Root pulled off a sensational low catch at first slip to send him back. At stumps, India had KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant at the crease, with Pant looking fluent despite having suffered a finger injury on Day 1 that kept him off the field for most of England’s innings.
India will look to build on the strong platform and narrow the deficit on Day 3, but Day 2 undeniably belonged to Jasprit Bumrah — the man who delivered once again on the grandest stage, and in doing so, etched his name into Lord’s cricketing folklore.
